Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Activity In Advanced Cervical Carcinoma Treated With Oral Fluoropyrimidine As Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

We examined the thymidylate synthase (TS) and dihydropyrimidinc dchydrogcnase (DPD) activity in 38 advanced cervical carcinoma patients treated with oral fluoropyrimidine (UFT) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), and investigated the relationship between TS or DPD activity and apoptosis. The mean tumor TS and DPD activity before UFT administration was 5.42 +/- 3.92pmol/g tissue and 206.54 +/- 128.58pmol/mg/min, respectively. The AI increased from 1.10 +/- 0.57% before UFT to 1.27 +/- 0.81% afterwards, and the DPD activity before UFT showed an inverse correlation with the AI after UFT (r=-0.6938). These results indicate that the DPD activity of advanced cervical carcinoma is a determinant of sensitivity to UFT, suggesting an association between UFT therapy and the induction of apoptosis.